Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate on Caste System
The Gandhi-Ambedkar debate on caste system is one of the most significant philosophical and political discourses in modern India. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a Dalit leader and social reformer, saw the caste system as inherently oppressive and rooted in Hindu religious texts. He demanded its complete abolition and advocated for the annihilation of caste through legal and social reforms.
Mahatma Gandhi, while opposing untouchability, did not call for the total abolition of the caste system. He believed in reforming it by removing its discriminatory aspects and emphasized the spiritual and social unity of all castes. He referred to the marginalized as “Harijans” or children of God.
The two leaders clashed particularly during the Poona Pact of 1932 over separate electorates for Dalits. Ambedkar viewed separate electorates as a path to true representation, while Gandhi saw it as divisive.
This debate highlights differing approaches: Ambedkar’s legal-rational reform versus Gandhi’s moral-spiritual transformation of society.